The Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan (CCETP) has been developed to facilitate the egress of a high volume of traffic from Cape Cod in the event of a hurricane or other potential high hazards, particularly during peak tourist season. The plan's main goals are to ensure the safety of the community in the event of destructive weather or other hazard requiring the orderly but rapid movement of motorists off Cape Cod and the Islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard; and prepare for the temporary sheltering of displaced persons resulting from the evacuation of potential flood areas and motorists unable to exit the Cape due to the closure of the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges.

The CCETP has been developed by the Massachusetts State Police in cooperation with numerous agencies: Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Bourne and Sandwich Police Departments, Mass Highway Department, Massachusetts Army National Guard and the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR), the Army Corp. of Engineers, Barnstable County Sheriff's Dept., American Red Cross, Local Emergency Management Directors from towns across the Cape and many others.

It is important to emphasize that this is not an evacuation plan. Although there are a number of areas of the Cape that would evacuate from low-lying, flood prone areas to higher ground, many of these individuals would access shelters and not necessarily leave the Cape. During the summer season however, (particularly the holiday weekends) most tourists will attempt to leave the Cape if a serious hurricane is predicted. The Plan is a tool that can be used to assist expediting traffic flow regardless of the hazard and should be looked upon in all-hazard scenarios.

6/06/07